Archive for March, 2017

Well before videos went viral, our family was famous for birthday theme parties.

You may wonder how we got everyone to make and wear costumes, memorize scripts and perform. It was easy – – no one ate until after the show! The oddest thing is that they all had a part, which meant we actually had no audience.

In celebration of the opening of Beauty and The Beast, here are photos of our production for Noelle’s 4th birthday on Saturday, August 21st 1993 .

Unfortunately, we weren’t able to find pictures of the entire cast. One of my favorites, was Priscilla, an amazing person always impeccably dressed, smoking a long Virginia Slim cigarette, and wearing her very high heels. She was our very own Auntie Mame.

For our production, she wore a large refrigerator box because after all, she was the wardrobe, Madame Garderobe. Although she complained that her heels were digging into the grass, she still flawlessly delivered her line, “The master’s not so bad, once you get to know him.”

What our kids learned is family and friends play a role in our lives, just as they played a role in our backyard productions. We needed to fill all kinds of parts, which is why our differences help enrich our lives.

Our parties mattered not only for the memories they created, but appreciation of the people that mattered.

These little wolves are all in their late 20’s now. Andrew, Ryan, Michael and Vincent.

My brother Michael as Cogsworth, Gerard as the horse, Bobby Clinton as the cart and of course my husband Mike, wearing a rented beast costume on a 95 degree August day. I’m the only one without a role. After all, I directed!

After an amazing birthday celebration, a little girl goes to sleep in her matching sheets.

Rosie as grown up Belle and the spin around costume she made for herself and Noelle as little Belle. Quite clever!

Kenny and Anthony play Gaston and LeFou. Kenny gets credit for the dishwashing gloves to look like his character, but loses credit for not memorizing the script.